JOHN LENNON "HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER)"

A personal Christmas favourite, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was originally released on 24th Nov 1972 (Dec 1971 in the U.S.) by John & Yoko The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir, and reached #4 in the UK.

However, following Lennon's death on 8th Dec 1980, the single was re-released on Dec 20th 1980 and reached #2. The song was intended to be released in 1971 but a publishing dispute delayed this by one year.

The protest song about the Vietnam war was a non-album single, and was written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It failed to chart in the U.S.

Above you can see the original single version which was released on the Apple record label on 7" green vinyl in the U.S. on 1st December 1972.

Lennon's seventh solo single has been covered by countless music artists, and has featured on seasonal compilation albums annually. The track came after around two years of peace activism by John and Yoko Ono - you may remember (or have read about) their "bed-ins" during 1969.

Lennon first recorded a demo during his time living at the St. Regis Hotel in New York with Yoko Ono.